Like this:

This is my second toe in the water buying a large sensor compact camera the first was the Fuji X100 which was sent back after 3 days !

Not everything that’s new and has the word Canon written on it is up to scratch, take the new Canon G1X it has an 18.7 x 14mm CMOS sensor and by all accounts has an ISO to die for. I have been putting my new baby through his paces.

My first finding is when you are in manual mode, you get to change the speed with the front dial and the iris with the back thumbwheel as shown. What a poor decision that’s been…if you are not careful you start changing all sorts of menus and there is no way to isolate the thumbwheel to just change the iris.

The lens is a 15.1-60.4mm f2.8-5.8 (35mm = 28-112mm) which is fairly reasonable though I would have preferred a 24mm f1.8 wide lens. I can’t understand why companies like Canon insist on producing compact cameras at this level of sophistication to let themselves down with glass that goes from f2.8 to a poor f5.8 making tight shots almost useless in low light.

A constant f2.8 lens would be dearer but far more preferable.

Stunning is the only words to describe some of the pictures coming out of the G1X, this is my friends dog, Molly, and due to the very useful swivel LCD low angle shots like this are a breeze. Its not all good news the closest focusing is very poor at 20cm and thats in macro mode and 85cm at the telephoto end !

Conclusion :

The Canon G1X is far from perfect in fact it seems to share the same erratic focusing problems that the Fuji X100 had, the ISO is usable up to about 1250 with a push to 1600.

As a clear example ISO 6400 is very fluffy and to all intent purposes not usable on a daily basis, so stick to the rules, low light at f2.8 ISO 1600 max keeping the lens wide (f2.8).

These are the kind of “reportage” shots you can pull off with the G1X in natural lighting at night round a dinner table.

There is no doubt about it these large sensor compacts can produce stunning pictures but you have to work hard to get them, the last thing I want with a point and shoot is a tripod.

Don’t look for any kind of shallow depth of field with this camera even at f2.8 once again disappointing.

I would rate this camera 7 out of 10 and hope Canon can take this technology forward and develop this into a fantastic reportage compact camera sometime in the future.

The EOS 5D Mark III builds on the reputation of the EOS 5D Mark II, with a range of new features introduced following feedback received from photographers to provide even better Full HD video performance. As well as offering the depth-of-field control loved by video professionals, the new full-frame sensor combines with the vast processing power of DIGIC 5+ to improve image quality by virtually eradicating the presence of moiré, false colour and other artefacts. The addition of a movie mode switch and a recording button also offers greater usability, enabling videographers to begin shooting immediately when movie mode is engaged.

Additional movie functions include manual exposure control and an enhanced range of high bit-rate video compression options, with intraframe (ALL-I) and interframe (IPB)

methods both supported. Variable frame rates range from 24fps to 60fps, and the addition of SMPTE timecode support provides greater editing flexibility and easier integration into multi-camera shoots. Users can also check and adjust audio during recording via the camera’s Quick Control screen and a headphone socket enables sound level monitoring both during and after shooting. Enhanced processing power provided by DIGIC 5+ also makes it possible to conveniently trim the length of recorded movies in-camera.

Professional build, easy operation

The EOS 5D Mark III has been built to offer photographers easy-handling and robust build quality. Its lightweight, high-grade magnesium body offers advanced weather proofing for protection against the elements, while the construction of the shutter has also been reinforced, with 150,000-cycle durability making it ideal for repeated, everyday use. An enhanced version of the Intelligent Viewfinder featured in the EOS 7D offers approximately 100% coverage, as well as an on-demand grid display via the built- in transparent LCD.

The same reinforced 8.11cm (3.2”) Clear View II LCD screen as used by the EOS-1D X provides high quality framing and playback in all conditions. 1,040k-pixels provide the resolution to accurately check image sharpness and focus, while the gapless structure design introduced with the EOS-1D Mark IV prevents reflections and protects against dust or scratches. A headphone socket and locking mode dial have been included, while the inclusion of a UDMA 7-compatible CF card slot plus an SD card2 slot enables shooting to both cards simultaneously, auto switching when the one in use becomes full and the option to copy images from one card to the other in-camera.

Digital Lens Optimizer – new in Digital Photo Professional v3.11

The EOS 5D Mark III comes complete with the most advanced version of Digital Photo Professional (DPP) yet – Canon’s free, in-box software enabling high-speed, high quality processing of RAW images. New in DPP v3.11 is Digital Lens Optimizer – a revolutionary new tool designed to drastically improve image resolution.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III – Key features:

22.3 Megapixel full-frame sensor

61-point autofocus

Up to 6fps continuous shooting

Native ISO 100-25,600 sensitivity

Full HD video with manual control

14-bit DIGIC 5+ processor

Enhanced Weather sealing

8.11cm (3.2-inch) 1,040,000-dot screen

HDR mode with presetsPricing and Availability: The EOS 5D Mark III will be available from end of March 2012, priced at £2999.99 / €3569.99 RRP including VAT.